ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Protesters took to the streets outside the presidential palace in Brasilia late on Wednesday after Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff appointed embattled former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as her Chief of Staff.
The opposition has said Lula's taking a ministerial post is an obstruction of justice, as it allows him short-term protection from prosecutors who accused him of money laundering and concealing ownership of luxury properties last week.
Rousseff denied this was the reason for Lula's appointment.
Lula's return to government could bring a sudden shift in economic policy, as he has openly criticized austerity efforts and called for more public spending to end Brazil's worst recession in decades.

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